That's one of those dark areas for me. I know very little about it, just basic stuff.

Basically stems from an exchange with a friend, she's a democrat from California, and we've been friends since our college days.

She expressed the following:

"How unfair that Sheldon Adelson can donate $10m to Romney super pacs. I guess politicians now need to buy millionaires. There is all kinds of legislation and legal issues around campaign finance to prevent corruption and to prevent the person with the most money from being able to buy politicians I don't understand how Adelson has worked around it."

I did some digging, and obviously found plenty of above one million dollar donors to the DNC campaign. When I mentioned it to her and asked whether she's outraged and questioned their donation, she said no, because they are smaller!

Well alrighty then.

So, I think that it'd be quite interesting to expand on the topic. Exactly how are these large donors able to donate such large sums, amongst them:

A new report released unravels a scheme that funnels money from the notorious Koch Brothers and the reclusive Chicago industrialist Barre Seid through a third party organization, which in turn makes anonymous donations in the millions to right-wing policy think-tanks.

Tea Party raccoons will get all the details when the uneaten pizza in political junk food boxes are discarded unter the bus visiting their neighborhoods.

Father Guido Sarducci gave the benediction and homily at the beginning of the event in Washington, D.C. after Glenn Beck and his associated defiled the People's court of Columbia.

Anyone from a godless foreign country that believes in cultural supremacy and the worship of mammon would never comprehend the depth of corruption within religious/political organizations like the Republic-con Party.

Treasure Is FL

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I'd be opposed to anything that prohibits anyone from spending money to promote their beliefs, political or otherwise. That would violate the 1st Amendment as presently written, and any amendment of the 1st is fraught with peril.

I do think there are possible limitations on the timing and manner of spending during political campaigns that would be constitutionally permissible, including full disclosure of the real sources for that spending.

Belle Chasse LA

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I guess what I'm thinking is, that, the way the current system is set up, if someone who is an independent wants to make it, be heard and seen they have to be Bloomberg rich.

I'll read up on your suggestion Tbr.

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They can not technically donate to Mitt or Barack.

They donate to an organization that ostensibly has no connection to the candidate, and does not coordinate with the candidate. But we all know that that doesn't really happen.

Restore our Future, Romneys main Super PAC, has three member of the board that worked on previous Romney campaigns.

The head of Obamas Super PAC is a long time Democratic operative.

These are allowed because of SpeechNow.o rg v. FEC, not Citizen's United.

I'll let you, and anyone else who cares to, read up on those, rather than expound on them here.

IMHO, this money is detrimental to elections. I would like to see public financing of campaigns, a certain amount of free advertising, and limited time to campaign.

Fullerton CA

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That's one of those dark areas for me. I know very little about it, just basic stuff.

Basically stems from an exchange with a friend, she's a democrat from California, and we've been friends since our college days.

She expressed the following:

"How unfair that Sheldon Adelson can donate $10m to Romney super pacs. I guess politicians now need to buy millionaires. There is all kinds of legislation and legal issues around campaign finance to prevent corruption and to prevent the person with the most money from being able to buy politicians I don't understand how Adelson has worked around it."

I did some digging, and obviously found plenty of above one million dollar donors to the DNC campaign. When I mentioned it to her and asked whether she's outraged and questioned their donation, she said no, because they are smaller!

Well alrighty then.

So, I think that it'd be quite interesting to expand on the topic. Exactly how are these large donors able to donate such large sums, amongst them: